The Portland daily press., 1887-04-30

II requires years of experience before the eye
and hand OF the artisan becomes sufficiently
skilled to perfectly initiate In glass the hu
man eye. The glass has TO DO especially
prepared, and the secret Of this preparation
Is only known TO the wOrkmen. AS the eye
Is not susceptible OF actual measurement, the
size as well as the color must depend on the
skin Of the maker.
In making an artificial eye the glass passes
through the hands of three wOrSmen. These
men sit before small w0rk-benehes hidden by
solid board fence or railing. Underneath,
one loot rests upon a treadle which works a
small bellows. Directly in front Of them Is
an ordinary gas jet with small sheet iron
cover, having an opening at the top like the
chute Of a wheat elevator. BY the aid Of the
bellows this Is converted into a small blast
furnace. The intensity Of the heat n shown
by the blue color Of the flame that spouts
from the mouth OF the chute. On each side
Of the furnace Is small cushion about five
inches high.
Taking a hollow glass cylinder about the
size and length Of an ordinary lead pencil,
the workman turns on the gas, and resting his
elbows upon these cushions begins operations
by holding the ends of the tube In the flame.
Then, by gently blowing, aided by considera-
BILE manipulation, he produces upon the end
Of the tube cone resembling in color the
finer French china. This is 10 represent the
white Of the eye.
This cone, sim attached to the long stem, is
now turned over TO the second workman. He
places the point before the fame, and pick
ing up long, slender stick he begins 10
work on the extreme tip Of the cone. This
slender stick Is enamel, and looks like the
eat-gut string Of bass yiOl that has been
vanished. Near at hand are all the prinei-
pal colOrs OF the human iris In these slender
sticks Of enamel. To produce the interme-
dlate hues, or the distinct popularity, two
Of the sticks are held in the dame and twirl-
ed around until third stick Of the desired
color is produced. Uniting the white tip Of
the cone with the stick Of enamel under the
flame, the tip disappears, and in its place
comes the rounded outer surface OF the eye
with dark spot representing the basis Of
eoloring matter or iris. The cone has now
assumed the shape OF an acorn inverted, the
white spot where the nut was attached to the
shell forming the iris. Different sticks Of
enamel are now used as the workmen en-
deav0r to perfect the iris as nearly as pos
sible like that of the uninjured eye 0fthe Gus
toner, whom he visits every few moments
In an adjoining room. During this process
the acorn shaped shell is rapidly twirled
around and the enamel Is pecked in, emitting
sparks under the flame like the flashes Of a
diamond under bright light The pupil Is
finally placed in the center Of the iris by a
darker hue Of the enamel, and over this the
transparent surface or cOrnea Is placed.
The eye is now placed in the hands Of the
last workman. He finds upon the glass stem
the perfect eye. 1t Is his business to fit the
inner surface and edges TO the stump Of the
optic nerve left in the wearers empty socket.
BY examining the stump and trying on an as
sorted collection of samples the size is arrived
at. The workman takes his place at the
blast furnace. The globe Is halved, the part
attached to the eye having an irregular edge
and inner surface to correspond with the
cavity IL Is to fill. The eye Is next put in a
small iron receptacle and covered again,
placed before the flame to temper IL, and
when taken out Is complete artificial eye.
If the stump Of the lost eye Is large and
moves freely, the glass eye will work In uni
son with the other one, especially II the 1T Is
good. III the stump is poor, the eye remains
in the fixed and staring position which Is the
source Of so much amusement to everybody
but the victim. Sometimes half a dozen eyes
are made before the size and color can be
obtained. The length Of time required Is
from one 10 two hours.
One Of the most serious defects Of the glass
eye Is its single-barreled expression. To
person Of sensitive nature this Is an appail-
ing obstacle, and man who can invent an
eye that works on the same plan as a seven
shot revolver has millions within his grasp.